Hi all! My name is Jess and I just recently began my clinical rotations at Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital in upper east Manhattan. I absolutely love how involved Northwell Health is within its diverse community. Just last month I had the opportunity to attend the Northwell Health Harlem Health and Safety Fair for growing youths and adolescents. The fair incorporated education to the community in an array health areas, such as CPR, bike safety, allergies, poison control, women’s health, vitals (e.g. BMI, blood pressure, heart rate, blood glucose), meditation/yoga, exercise and physical activity, and heart health. During the fair, a DJ played music while hula-hoop and jump rope contests were held for attendees.
At the Lenox Hill Hospital table tent, I encouraged the use of spices versus salt to season foods—helping to lower blood pressure and risk for cardiovascular events. At the tent, I passed out recipe cards for spiced brown rice with seasoning packets (developed by my clinical nutrition manager) stapled to it—containing a mix of spices, such as coriander, cinnamon, turmeric and cumin. On the back of the card, I created a nutrition facts panel to display the nutrient content per serving. In addition, I offered nutrition education handouts, both in English and Spanish, to assist the Harlem community in navigating the grocery store, reading the nutrition facts panel and included suggestions of seasonings for use in the preparation of meals to add flavor to foods without the added salt. From my discussions with such a diverse community, I’ve further developed a passion for community outreach and nutrition education. I found the event to be such an incredible opportunity to engage with the community and gain invaluable insight into the lives and perceptions of nutrition and health.
Attending this event has really helped me to engage and provide nutrition education within the hospital, and most importantly, within a diverse and distinct setting; specifically, by improving upon my clinical judgment in the provision of nutrition education and determining stage of readiness. I’m appreciative of such opportunities to acquire additional confidence and instill a feeling of empowerment to my patients and the community. The past two months have been an absolute blast and I look forward to the rest of the journey ahead in becoming a proficient practicing dietitian!
At the Lenox Hill Hospital table tent, I encouraged the use of spices versus salt to season foods—helping to lower blood pressure and risk for cardiovascular events. At the tent, I passed out recipe cards for spiced brown rice with seasoning packets (developed by my clinical nutrition manager) stapled to it—containing a mix of spices, such as coriander, cinnamon, turmeric and cumin. On the back of the card, I created a nutrition facts panel to display the nutrient content per serving. In addition, I offered nutrition education handouts, both in English and Spanish, to assist the Harlem community in navigating the grocery store, reading the nutrition facts panel and included suggestions of seasonings for use in the preparation of meals to add flavor to foods without the added salt. From my discussions with such a diverse community, I’ve further developed a passion for community outreach and nutrition education. I found the event to be such an incredible opportunity to engage with the community and gain invaluable insight into the lives and perceptions of nutrition and health.
Attending this event has really helped me to engage and provide nutrition education within the hospital, and most importantly, within a diverse and distinct setting; specifically, by improving upon my clinical judgment in the provision of nutrition education and determining stage of readiness. I’m appreciative of such opportunities to acquire additional confidence and instill a feeling of empowerment to my patients and the community. The past two months have been an absolute blast and I look forward to the rest of the journey ahead in becoming a proficient practicing dietitian!
